Less than a decade ago freedom meant leaving my infant with my husband and going to the grocery store alone.  Shortly thereafter, I came to the abrupt understanding that freedom was the privilege of my whole life. I have the freedom to come and go, to choose my work, to choose where I live and whom I hang out with, and to express myself freely.  Too young at the time to have grasped Vietnam (or its preceding wars), I never understood the sacrifice that is made daily by brave people so I can take my freedom for granted.  I grasp it now and am sobered by it.

I don’t mean to write a patriotic tribute here, but I am inspired by what freedom means.  As I was riding my new bicycle last Friday enjoying a cool breeze and an endorphin high, I realized that what I was relishing in that moment was freedom.  I was moving faster than my own body could have taken me and I had the physical space that made me feel unencumbered.  I did not have to be anywhere at that particular moment and I could choose where I wanted to go as the road came upon me.  It was a transcendent feeling.  I wonder how else we can create freedom in our lives.

How can we create more time and space for ourselves?

How can we create financial freedom? Not necessarily a millionaire’s trust but the freedom to stop sweating one’s finances.

How can we create more room for opportunity?

Once again, I am privileged to even be able to ask the questions.  We have a choice and that is the ultimate freedom.  The question then, is what do we choose? Do we choose to suffer?  Do we choose to stay in situations that do not serve us? Do we choose to do nothing and assume we do not have the power to change something?

It really does come down to a choice. The choice to live and keep on growing or the choice to shrivel up and die in spirit.

What is freedom?  In a society where we are not at the mercy of militant leaders, freedom is a state of mind.  It’s declaring yourself free of the mental decisions and frameworks that dictate your limits.  It is purposely creating a choice between that which opens you to opportunity and that, which closes you off from any shot at it.  It’s the choice to persevere despite any odds against you.

What will you transcend?  What will you release?  What will tell you,  you are free?

It’s icky sticky Valentine’s Day.  I don’t like it.  It holds no horrible memories for me, no early-life scarring or dating disasters and I am currently duly loved and cared for. The problem is I’ve never embraced this fabricated holiday.  It gives me the creeps.  It smacks of desperation.

There are those dear souls who feel unloved on this day and there are those whose efforts to demonstrate their love get disparaged for being off the mark.  There are yet others who feel let down by the anticipation of it all and this year, we probably can add vendors who are being made blue by those kept away from buying hearts, sweets and flowers due to budget cuts. Do we really need a day to commemorate love?  People don’t walk around all glowy like they do at the holiday season.  Love doesn’t seem to permeate the air—it seems that stress is the prevailing mood instead.  Who do we have to write to to get it off the calendar?  Hallmark?

I know this all sounds very negative and my cynic is seeping out everywhere, but you have to understand that fabricated meaning is not meaningful at all.  That’s what annoys me!  No wonder so many people struggle with this holiday.  The meaning is forced on us and expectations run high.  A day to celebrate love sounds good but the practice has become ridiculous.  Maybe it could be reinvented.

The day of love could be a challenge to all to show love and care without spending a dime.  A day devoted to random acts of kindness to those we know and love and to those we don’t know as well.  A day devoted to sharing of sentiments (OK maybe writing notes would still be allowed for those too shy to speak intimately) and offering our personal attributes and talents as the proof of our feelings.  A day of love could be a day where we spend five minutes (at least) imagining love emanating from ourselves out to every person in the world who needs it.  A day where we spend our energy on reducing suffering in the world.  Now THAT could be meaningful, maybe, if it appeals to you.  I wouldn’t want to force it on you, but I think I’ll give it a try.